Employment Spot

401(k) Basics, Understand Your Retirement Benefits

Salary isn’t the only variable to consider when evaluating a job offer. Retirement benefits such as 401(k) plans offer financial security and positive returns on your investment when maximized. Knowledge is power when it comes to retirement planning, and the Web offers many resources for understanding, evaluating and managing retirement benefits.

So what is a 401(k) and how does it work? The 401(k) plan is a retirement vehicle that allows employees of qualifying companies to set aside tax-deferred funds. At SmartMoney.Com, see how saving $100 a month in a 401(k) for 20 years compares to the same investments in IRAs, mutual funds and annuities.

What should you expect from a good 401(k) plan? If you are working for a fairly large or profitable company, your employer should be able to offer many choices, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Several investment options, active investor education and a matching contribution from your employer are among the features to look for when evaluating a company plan.

If your employer is willing to match a portion of or all of your contributions, try to save as much as you can. Not capitalizing on this opportunity tends to be one of the biggest mistakes according to many financial experts. Money.Com offers tips on avoiding this and several other common 401(k) mistakes.

Will your retirement plan be safe for the future?

So what happens to your 401(k) when you change jobs? From a report recently released from Fidelity Investments, it seems that many job hoppers are ignoring their 401(k)s and opting for cash. Get the recap on CNNmoney. Going for the dough is not the wisest option. Find out what you need to know about keeping hold of your nest egg from job to job in yet another helpful article from the San Francisco Chronicle.

Still need more reasons to start saving now? Visit the investment tools at Ameriprise Financial, where you can compare your current saving habits with what you really need to save to build that nest egg or realize the tax savings of contributions to a 401(k).

Finally, how does your 401(k) plan fit into the rest of your retirement plans? Take 10 minutes to complete the Retirement Planner at Vanguard.Com. If you don’t have a good balance of 401(k) savings, IRAs, and taxable contributions to retire at your desired age, Vanguard will offer some solutions.

Happy savings!    — Stephanie Benes

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